Grain cleaner and separator



A. l. FISHER GRAIN CLEANER AND SEPARATOR July so, 1957 Filed Aug. 27. 1954 4 sheets-sheet 1 f T w .P W.. w L r m, @a Wf.

July 30, 1957 A. L. FISHER GRAIN CLEANER AND sEPARA'roR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 27. 1954 July 30, 1957 A. FISHER GRAIN CLEANER AND SEPARATOR Filed Aug. 27. 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. @E7-Ha EISA/2,

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United States. Patent GRAIN CLEANER AND SEPARATOR Arthur L. Fisher, Butler, Pa.

Application August 27, 1954, Serial No. 452,698

3 Claims. (Cl. 209-261) My invention relates to harvesters of the combine type, and more particularly to the separation of the grain from chaff and other foreign matter.

One object of my invention is to provide means for automatically varying the volume of air which is delivered by a fan or blower in the separation of grain from the chaff, to compensate for variations in air ilow which are required when the machine is moving along a slope in one direction, as compared to the air forced required when the machine is moving along level ground or along a slope in the other direction, thereby insuring adequate force of air to blow the chaff away without also blowing the grain away.

Another object of my invention is to provide in a control device of the pendulum weight type, means for cushioning or dampening excessive swinging movements of the pendulum, as when the harvester is traveling over uneven ground.

Still another object of my invention is to .provide means for accurately adjusting the air currents to suit grains of diierent size, character and condition,

Some of the forms which my invention may take are shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure l is a fragmentary View showing the manner in which my invention may be applied to the harvester of one type;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a face view thereof;

Fig. 4 is a view showing a modification of the structure of Figs. l to 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of the apparatus of Fig. 4 and Fig. 6 is a view, in end elevation, of a portion of the apparatus of Fig. 5.

The apparatus is shown as applied to a harvester, a portion of which is indicated at 4, provided with the usual wheels 5 and with a blower or fan 6 from which air is supplied to winnow the grain at 7. The blower will be driven in any conventional manner.

A pair of bracket arms 8 are connected to a frame member 9 of the machine. A rod 10 connects the lower ends of the bracket arms 8 and a sleeve 11 is rotatably supported thereon between adjustable collars 12 that are in their adjusted positions by set screws 13. A pendulum hanger 14 is rigidly secured to the sleeve 11, and at its lower end, carries a pendulum weight 15. A cylinder 16 has a piston 17 whose rod 18 is connected to the hanger 14, the cylinder being pivotally connected by a bracket member 19 that is secured to a fixed member of the machine. The cylinder 16 has vent holes 20 in its ends, so that it will function as a dash pot to prevent excessive idle swinging or overswing of the pendulum when the machine is traveling over rough ground or is subjected to unusual shocks. The dampening eifect on shocks will depend upon the point at which 18 is connected to the hanger 14.

A bearing bracket 21 is rigidly secured to the sleeve 11 and has a threaded shaft 22 journaled therein that functions as a crank arm, the shaft being provided with a crank 23. A nut 24 has threaded engagement with the shaft 22 and is adjustable therealong upon turning of the crank 23. A shaft 25 with a threaded extension 26 is journaled in an extension of the nut 24 and supports a link 27.

When the pendulum oscillates, the sleeve 11 will be oscillated with it and the inner end of the screw shaft 22 will swing up and down as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, thus raising and lowering the shaft 26.

The shaft 26 has threaded engagement with the link 27 which, at its upper end, has ball-and-socket connection at 28 with a nut 29 that is threaded on a screw shaft 30. The shaft 30 is secured at 31 to a shaft 32 that is rigidly secured to a rocking lever 33, so that when the linkage 26-27 is raised and lowered through swinging movements of the pendulum, the shaft 32 will be oscillated about its longitudinal axis. A crank 34 on the shaft 30 provides for adjustment of the nut 29 and hence controls the distance which the lever 33 will rock when the pendulum swings.

The ends of the lever 33 are pivotally connected to pull rods 35 and 36 which are slidably supported in guides 37 and 38 respectively, on the fan box or case 6.

At their ends, the extensions 39 and 40 respectively, of the arms are bent laterally toward the axis of the fan casing and have dampers 41 and 42 respectively, mounted on their ends, so that as the lever 33 is rocked about the axis of the pivot 31, the arms 35 and 36 will be swung to move the dampers toward and from inlet openings 43 into the casing.

Therefore, the arrangement is such that if the vehicle is moving along a slope where less air is required to separate the chaff from the grain, the pendulum will move the dampers in a direction toward closing position, thereby reducing the volume of air and avoiding blowing away of grain with the chaff. Contrarywise, when the slope is in the other direction, requiring more air to blow away the chai?, the swing of the pendulum will be such as to move the dampers farther away from the openings 23, for freer flow of air.

The adjustments at 23, 27 and 34 will be variously made to suit particular conditions such as may require different relative ranges of movements as between the pendulum and the dampers. Certain adjustments will be required for wheat; other adjustments for buckheat, millet and other grains and seeds.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, I show apparatus that functions similarly to that of Figs. l to 3, but is modied to render it applicable to harvesting machines wherein the separation of chaff from the grain is effected by air blasts in a direction transversely to the path of travel of the harvester. ln Figs. l to 3, the air blast is directed in a generally fore and aft direction.

In Fig. 4, a portion of a harvester is shown in generally end elevation. The body of the machine is indicated generally at 45 and one of the wheels at 46, the discharge of chaff being eifected transversely through a hood or deflector 47 at the side of the harvester. The harvester is provided with the usual blower having a casing 48 with air inlet openings 49 at its ends and discharging into a conduit 50 that directs the air through a screen 5l for elimination of the chaif from the threshed grain.

Instead of controlling air flow at the inlets to the fan case as in Figs. l to 3, in this case, I provide damper or valve elements 52 and 53 at the entrance to the conduit 50, that are respectively pivoted at 54 and 55 in the side walls of the conduit 50.

A pendulum 56 is rigidly connected to a rock shaft 57 and has connection with a dash pot 58 as in Fig. 2,

member or wall 59 of the machine.

The rock shaft 57 is of tubular form `rotatably supported on a stud shaft 61 that is secured to a wail or frame member 62 ofV the machine. BearingV members 63'are carried by the shaft 57. An'adjusting screw 64 that functions as a crank arm is journaled in the bearing members 63 `and has screw threaded connection with a nut 65 yto which the upper end of a link 66 is pivotally connected. The link 66 pivotally supportsAapush-arndpull rod'67 that is vertically slidable in guides 63 which are secured to the body of the machine.V

At its lower end, the rod 67 is rigidly connected to a cross bar 69 which has holes for adjustable connection with rods 70 and 71 that are respectively connected through turn-buckles 72 and Y73 with rods 74 and 75 respectively that are adjustably connected to crank arms `76 and 77 which are, in turn, secured to therdamper the bar 69 and the barsV 76-77 not only provides'for varying the extent of damper movement, but the adjustability of the connecting members of one damper with respect to the connecting members of the other damper enables the relative angularity of damper movements to be varied, so that the predominant direction of air ow from the dampers can be changed. For example, if the parts are adjusted so that the damper 52 is moved more closely to -a closed position than the damper 53, the airflow in the conduit will be mainly in a relatively higher plane than if the damper 52 is more widely open and the damper 53 more nearly closed.

The adjustment of the nut 65, of course, changesY the range of movement of both dampers relative to the. extent of swinging movement by the pendulum 56.

I claim as my invention: o

l. The combination with ya grain separator of the blower type used onharvesting machines and having a blower contained in aY casing, of a pendulum, means on the machine for supporting the pendulum for swinging movement, a damper controlling iiow of air from the blower to the zone at which chail" is separated from the grain, a crank arm Vrigidly connected to the pendulum for oscillation therewith, a fulcrum member on the crank arm, an operating link pivotally connecting the fulcrum member to the damper, and manually-operable means for adjusting the fulcrum member longitudinally of the crank arm, to thereby change the extent of damper movement relative to the range of pendulum swing.

2. Apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the crank arm comprises a threaded shaft and the fulcrum member functions as a nut on the shaft, and there is a crank for manually turning the shaft.

3. The combination with a grain separator of the blower type used on harvesting machines and having a blower contained in a casing, of a pendulum, means on the machine for supporting the pendulum for swinging movement, a conduit that directs air from the casing to the zone at which the chaff is separated from the grain, a damper controlling flow of -air to the said zone, a link having connection at one end with the damper, a fulcrum memberv pivotally connected to the other end of the link, a shaft threaded through the fulcrum memberand rotatably connected at one end to the hanger arm of the pendulum, at right angles thereto, and a crank arm connected to the other end of the shaft, for turning the same to adjustfthe fulcrum member relative to the pendulum. Y Y

` References Cited in the tile ot this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 449,743 Landisl Apr. 7, 1891 2,272,148 Dray Feb.3, 1942Y '2,611,487` Stevenson Sept. 23, 1952 2,682,951 Hamburg July 6, 1954 2,692,679 Lindberg Oct. 26, 1954 

